(WNY News Now) – The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education has given the green light to a five-year, $126 million Capital Improvements Project, which will be presented to the community for a vote on December 12. Importantly, this project will not burden local taxpayers with any additional taxes due to a 98 percent reimbursement rate from New York State and careful fiscal planning.
Jamestown – During its regular meeting on October 24, the Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education voted to move forward with a significant Capital Improvements Project, designed to enhance the district’s school facilities. The five-year project, valued at $126 million, is scheduled for a community vote on December 12. One notable aspect of this project is that it will not result in any local tax increase, as the Jamestown Public Schools district is eligible for a 98 percent reimbursement rate from the state for capital projects. The remaining two percent required to fund the local share has been saved over several fiscal years.
JPS Board of Education President, Paul Abbott, emphasized the district’s commitment to cost-effective improvements, stating, “The Board of Education has made the continual improvements of our buildings, facilities, and infrastructure a priority and has been diligent in accomplishing this work in the most cost-effective way possible for our community. Much like our previous vote two years ago, we have ensured that there is no local tax impact for our community, while ensuring that we continue to invest in the important goal of educating our students by providing the best environment possible for them to learn.”
This Capital Improvements Project is the second phase of a ten-year plan aimed at upgrading the district’s school buildings, following a 2019 Building Condition Survey. The project’s objectives align with ongoing improvement efforts and include modernizing classrooms and student spaces, enhancing safety and security measures, and preserving the community’s investment in the district’s school facilities.
The project seeks to implement vital enhancements across all district buildings while also incorporating continued technology upgrades that bolster safety and security infrastructure. Detailed information about the project can be accessed at jpsny.org/capitalproject.
Dr. Kevin Whitaker, JPS Superintendent, expressed gratitude for the board’s support and urged community involvement in the decision-making process, saying, “This project is the second of three planned improvement projects that have been diligently planned for and will once again include upgrades to areas identified by the 2019 Building Condition Survey and will look to perform necessary capital work that will continue our trend of keeping students warm, safe, and dry. Much like your home, it is essential to keep the investment the community has made up to date. Utilizing capital funds from the state allows us to do these things with no impact on local taxes. We ask that the community help us by coming out and voting on Dec. 12.”
To provide the community with an opportunity to learn more about the Capital Improvement Project, a public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5, at 5:45 p.m., to be held in the Board Room of the Administration Building located at 197 Martin Road. The vote for the project will take place on Tuesday, December 12, from noon to 9 p.m., and is open to registered voters at Lincoln Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School, and Washington Middle School.
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